Wire-stretcher.



No. 882,149. PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. M. A. JOHNSON.

WIRE STRETOHER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1907.

W By r 4 POL A TTORNE Y5.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN ANDREW JOHNSON, OF \VA'lERlfiORD, UAIII FORNIA.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

Application filed May 6, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,MA1:TIN ANDREW J 011N- sON, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVaterford, in the county of Stanislaus and State of California, have invented a new and useful l/Vire-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in devices for tensioning or stretching wires and similar purposes, and is especially adapted for use in tensioning or tightening the strand wires of fencing, and it has for its object to provide an improved device of this character that is capable of firmly engaging the wire without liability of unduly cutting or breaking it, and when the draft is applied will cause the wire to be drawn in a straight line so as to prevent kinking and twisting of the Wire, the device being composed of a few simple parts so constructed and arranged that they cannot get out of order.

To these and other ends, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out particularly in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire stretcher constructed in accordance with my present in vention, the dotted lines indicating the relative position of the wire. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 83 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

The device shown in the present embodiment of the invention is especially adapted for use in stretching the strand wires of wire fencing by the aid of a block and tackle or a horse, and it comprises, in the present instance, a yoke l of approximately semi-circular form and having a substantially flat portion, the greater dimension extending in a direction parallel to the plane of curvature, the width of the yoke iron decreasing to form a taper at one end of the yoke where an eye 2 is formed to slidingly receive a draw rod 3, the opposite end of the yoke being relatively heavy and provided with an outturned extension or enlargement 4. The axis of the eye 2 extends at a slight or very acute angle to the plane of the yoke and arranged upon the front surface 5 of the yoke Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Serial No. 372,166.

and adjacent enlargement 4 is a lateral projection 6 forming a relatively fixed jaw, the outer edge of which is in a plane parallel to the axis of the eye 2 and to the bar 3. This enlargement or jaw has a substantially smooth operating face 7 adapted to receive the wire 1:.

Mounted in cooperative relation with the relatively fixed jaw is a movable jaw 8, a pivot pin 9 passing through the yoke and areinforcing bracket 10 thereon and serving as a pivotal mounting for the movable jaw. The operating face 11 of the relatively mov able aw is formed eccentrically of its pivot, that is to say, its axis of movement, and it is also preferably roughened or serrated in order that it may obtain a firm hold on the wire that is clamped between it and the relatively fixed jaw. The upper end of the movable jaw is provided with an operating extension 12 which is operatively connected to the bifurcated end 13 of the draw-rod by means of a pivot 1-1, reciprocation of the latter through the eye of the yoke serving to turn or operate the movable jaw about its axis, the occentrically formed operating face of the movable jaw serving to grip and release the wire that is interposed between it and the relatively fixed jaw. T he draw-rod is so connected to the relatively movable jaw that it cannot rotate on its longitudinal axis, and'in order to facilitate the attachment of a suitable tackle thereto, it is provided on its outer end with an eye 15 in which is fitted an attaching ring 16.

In using a wire attaching device constructed in accordance with the invention, for tensioning the strand wires of fences, the draw rod is pushed inwardly relatively to the yoke in order to turn the movable jaw to open position, and after the wire has been insorted between the movable jaw and the cause it to firmly grip the wire, the tension or draft applied to the device serving not only to retain the jaws in cooperative relation with the wire, but also to effect the tensioning thereof. After the proper tension has been obtained and the wires have been suitably fastened, the draft rod is pushed inwardly, causing a separating movement between the roughened surface or operating face of the movable jaw and the wire that will serve to disengage them. As the relative arrangement of the jaws permits the wire to be clamped between them while extending in a direction parallel to the axis of the draw rod, kinking or bending of the wire is prevented, and as the attaching ring cannot rotate about the draw rod as an axis, twisting of the wire is prevented.

Importance is attached to the provision of a yoke constituting the body of the device because the ,wire to be stretched is thus extended across the space within the yoke and should the wire contain a large twist or knot it would not tend to prevent the wire from being properly seated on the extension or jaw 6 but would instead rest within the space in the yoke.

What is claimed is A wire stretcher comprising a yoke having an enlargement at one endand an eye at the other end, a draw bar slidably mounted within the eye, the axis of the eye being disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the yoke, a

projection upon one face of the yoke and adjacent the enlargement, said projection being disposed in a plane parallel to the axis of the eye and to the bar, areinforcing bracket secured upon one side of the yoke and adjacent the enlargement, a cooperating jaw pivoted within the bracket and having an operating face disposed to clamp a wire upon the projection, and an arm extending from the pivoted jaw and pivotally connected to the draw bar, the operating faceof the projection be ing disposed on a straight line extending across the space within the yoke.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN ANDREW JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

L. E. SEVENMAN, IVER PEDERSEN, 

